Second Saturday: Lost in Translation: Deciphering Foreign Names, Places, & Documents (Classes and Workshops)
Saturday, February 14
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Zoom
Presented by Margaret Fortier, CG®
Researching ancestors from another country can be daunting, especially when names, locations, and records appear in an unfamiliar language. This presentation explores practical tools, strategies, and resources to break through these barriers and turn a foreign-language brick wall into a path forward.
Register Here! After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Save this link and please do not share it.
Margaret R. Fortier focuses on immigration to New England and dual citizenship with Italy. She specializes in Italian, Portuguese, and French-Canadian research, is fluent in French, and serves on the APG board and the 2021 NERGC Program Committee.
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
Brags and Bricks (Virtual) (Special Interest Groups)
Monday, February 16
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges or just come to chat with other genealogists.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link please do not share it with anyone else.
Want to strengthen your ability to read, transcribe, and analyze original records? This SIG is ideal for anyone looking to practice, build confidence, and sharpen their research skills in a collaborative setting.
The group is currently working with Revolutionary War pension files from the National Archives and plans to expand into state and local records.
This SIG meets in-person, monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Are you looking for inspiration to write up your family history research?
This group meets online the third Wednesday of the month. Join us to share and discuss writing projects, resources, and ideas. Research reports, articles for publication, family histories and memoirs--all genres welcome and encouraged.
Members share their latest writing project by the 1st of the month to give others time to read and review. Depending on the number of pieces submitted, each piece will be given at least 10 minutes discussion.
EGS Family Tree Maker SIG (Special Interest Groups)
Friday, February 20
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Join Eastside Genealogical Society and SGS to learn and share tips and tricks for using Family Tree Maker by Software MacKiev. The meetings open about 15 minutes in advance. You can join and/or leave whenever you have to, and you may email your question(s) in advance or bring them up during the meeting.
If you want to be on the Eastside Genealogical Society Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group email list, send your request to ftmsig@eastsidegenealogicalsociety.org.
Irish SIG (Special Interest Groups)
Saturday, February 21
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Virtual via Zoom
Share information and discuss Irish ancestral research.
To participate you need to be on the SGS Irish Interest Group email list. Contact Susan McKee at sgsirishsig@seagensoc.org to join. Susan will email you the Zoom link for the monthly meetings.
Facilitator: Susan McKee
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
You only need to register once for all German SIG meetings through Jun 2026. After registering, you will also receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Save this email and please do not share it.
Facilitator: Carolyn Schott
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
Image by Carolyn Schott
Virtual Sunday: Constructing Proof Arguments (Classes and Workshops)
Sunday, February 22
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Zoom Virtual Event
Speaker: Stephanie O’Connell, CG®
This program is a beta test of a presentation that will be delivered at RootsTech in March. Attendees will be asked to provide brief feedback to help refine the content.
Genealogists must transform complex research into clear and convincing conclusions. This session will focus on writing proof arguments that meet the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), highlighting how to select and organize the strongest evidence.
Stephanie O’Connell, CG®, is a professional genealogist specializing in Irish and British Isles family history. She serves as Director of Education for the Seattle Genealogical Society and has served as a ProGen mentor and SLIG instructor. Stephanie is a frequent speaker at major genealogy conferences, including RootsTech, the NGS Family History Conference, and the New York State Family History Conference.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else.
Tech Tuesdays (Virtual via Zoom) (Classes and Workshops)
Tuesday, February 24
10:00 am to 11:00 am
Need a helping hand? Drop in (virtually) on Tech Tuesdays, the popular informal consult time on DNA, hardware, software, and virtually all genealogy-related issues. All are welcomed, especially those who are just starting.
These occur virtually on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. No appointment necessary. No guarantee we can solve your problem, but we sure will try.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else. NOTE: Zoom links alternate between 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.
Eastern Europe is a region with a rich and complex history and diverse ethnic groups. Its frequent border changes, language barriers, and influences from several powerful empires can lead to challenges when researching family history.
This SIG will meet via Zoom. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else.
All participants are encouraged to bring a question about a DNA topic, tool, or DNA kit to the group. Every workshop is unique, and all attendees leave the workshop with lots of WOW moments when they see concepts and tools used in real time.
To participate you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at SGSDNASIG@seagensoc.org to join.
Co-Chairs: Cary Bright, Craig Gowens
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else.
Organizing for Genealogy SIG (Special Interest Groups)
Monday, March 2
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Virtual via Zoom
Share information and discuss organization tips, techniques, and habits to enhance your genealogical journey.
This SIG meets monthly on the 1st Monday of the month at 7:00PM Pacific via Zoom. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
To participate you need to be on the SGS Organizing SIG email list. Contact Susan McKee at sgsOrganizingsig@seagensoc.org to join. Susan will email you the Zoom link for the monthly meetings.
Facilitator: Susan McKee
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
Pacific Northwest Interest Group (Virtual) (Special Interest Groups)
Wednesday, March 4
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Share information and discuss Pacific Northwest genealogical research. This SIG meets monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30PM Pacific, 9:30PM Eastern. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
RootsTech 2026 (FREE In-Person and Virtual Event) (External Events)
Thursday, March 5 through Saturday, March 7
Salt Lake City, Utah
What to Expect from RootsTech?
A family history conference. An on-demand learning library. A way to grow closer to the people, places, and stories that matter most. RootsTech is all that and so much more. Join us as we celebrate together the joy of connection.
Registration for RootsTech 2026 opens September 24, 2025.
For more information and registration, click here. Or here.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Genealogy SIG (Special Interest Groups)
Thursday, March 5
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Virtual-Zoom
Welcome to the AI for Genealogy SIG, a dedicated community for exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and genealogical research.
Topic: TBD
This SIG meets monthly on the 1st Thursday of the month at 6:30PM Pacific, 9:30PM Eastern. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else.
Tech Tuesdays (Virtual via Zoom) (Classes and Workshops)
Tuesday, March 10
10:00 am to 11:00 am
Need a helping hand? Drop in (virtually) on Tech Tuesdays, the popular informal consult time on DNA, hardware, software, and virtually all genealogy-related issues. All are welcomed, especially those who are just starting.
These occur virtually on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. No appointment necessary. No guarantee we can solve your problem, but we sure will try.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else. NOTE: Zoom links alternate between 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.
The Ancestry Users Special Interest Group is for people who use Ancestry.com (and AncestryDNA) to research their family histories. Members will share research strategies, exchange tips on using Ancestry's resources effectively, and collaborate to enhance their understanding of Ancestry's tools, features, and databases.
This SIG meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30PM Pacific, 9:30PM Eastern. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else.
Jointly sponsored by SGS and Fiske, this group meets every other month on the second Wednesday of the month from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Meetings address topics and resources helpful for those using MacIntosh (Apple) computers and the Reunion program in their genealogy research.
The link to logon will be sent to the MAC SIG email list. People wishing to attend should email macusersig@seagensoc.org to be added to the mailing list.
Co-Chairs:Lisa Marker and Diane Hettrick
Admin: Katie Hanzeli
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
Register early and you will receive a confirmation email containing your personalized Zoom link. Save this link and please do not share it with anyone else.
Update on SGS activities and slate of board candidates for upcoming election. The meeting will be followed by a Second Saturday presentation. (See below.)
After registering, you will be able to join the Zoom meeting immediately from the registration window. You will also receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Only one registration for both the membership meeting and the presentation.
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
Second Saturday: 1926 Irish Census (Classes and Workshops)
Saturday, March 14
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Zoom
Unlocking the 1926 Irish Census
Presented by Susan McKee
In April 2026, the long-anticipated release of the 1926 Irish census will occur. Taken on April 18, 1926, this record set captures the first detailed portrait of life in Ireland following the establishment of the Irish Free State.
Join Irish genealogist Susan McKee as she introduces the 21 datasets included in this census and explains how they can transform your family history research.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Save this link, and please do not share it.
Born in Dublin, Susan McKee is a member of the Seattle Genealogical Society, where she facilitates the monthly Irish Special Interest Group. She presents regularly on researching Irish ancestors, including seminars for the Seattle Irish Festival and genealogical societies across the U.S.
Meeting content is for personal genealogy learning and may not be recorded or transcribed.
